UNC Epilepsy Center

As part of The University of North Carolina Hospitals and School of Medicine public academic medical center, the UNC Epilepsy Center is committed to providing high quality comprehensive epilepsy care to the current and future North Carolinians and the people of the Mid-Atlantic region. This care is the foundation for offering top-tier educational programs for medical students, residents and fellows, cutting edge research programs and development of new techniques in diagnosing and treating neurological disorders.

The UNC Epilepsy Center is designated as a level 4 center by National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC), which is the highest designation representing the most complex forms of diagnostic evaluations and treatment options. The care starts with a thorough and extensive clinical evaluation at a clinic or hospital by an epileptologist.

Our epilepsy specialists treat over 2,000 patients annually. We offer a full spectrum of diagnostic tools such as routine and ambulatory EEG; long-term video EEG monitoring in the state-of-the-art epilepsy monitoring unit; 1.5T and 3T MRI; research 7T MRI; PET-CT; hybrid simultaneous PET-MRI; Ictal/Interictal SPECT; WADA; fMRI; functional cortical mapping; and neuropsychology, neuropsychiatric, and social evaluation. We also offer a full spectrum of treatment options from medical management, diet therapy, device therapy to various surgical therapies.

Education and Research

The UNC Epilepsy Center has actively participated into the next generation of physician education through the neurology residency program, clinical neurophysiology fellowship training and ACGME accredited epilepsy fellowship training. In addition, we actively participate in various research studies to provide better diagnostic and treatment options to the patients with epilepsy, from clinical drug trials to basic science.

UNC researchers are exploring ways to better the lives of those with epilepsy–from new diagnostic techniques such as the application of the 7 T MRI scanner to the diagnosis and localization of the epileptic focus to the development and trialing of new and novel therapies. UNC was one of the first centers to recognize the connection of SUDEP and autonomic dysfunction, describe the relationship of sleep apnea to epilepsy and explore potential genetic therapies. Also, UNC actively participates in multiple clinical trials.

The Team

The EMU care team has provided the highest quality of care to patients with seizure, epilepsy and unknown spells since 1984. Our dedicated team consists of:

Eight ABPN or ABCN board-certified/eligible epileptologists, some of whom are nationally recognized in the field of epilepsy;